My Turn for Designer's Choice Challenge!

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog and it is my turn! I am challenging my fellow Rock Stars and you to create a Spring Card with Pastel Colors. Even without a real winter this year, I am ready for SPRING and making this card just put a smile on my face. Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge.

The “Ode to Spring” bunny by Repeat Impressions is my favorite spring stamp this year. You can’t help but smile when you see his joyful dance! I embossed him in pink, colored the flowers and cut out with a nestie. I folded the front of the card back in half and embossed with a floral CB folder. The inside yellow piece was embossed with a SU folder.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Stamp Man for “Colors of Spring.”

Stamping smiles, Karen

Aud Sentiments and Card Makin' Mamas Challenges

The challenge this week at Aud Sentiments is to use Happy on our cards and Birthdays is the theme at Card Makin' Mamas. The "happy bd" sentiment from TAC is one of my favorite little sayings to use on birthday cards. I embossed the buck using a brass stencil and the No More Shims thick embossing pad on some striped dp. I sponged him brown while still in the stencil, tore the edges and distressed them. The background is a Cuttlebug embossing folder and a pleated ribbon from SU completes the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Cuttlebug Spot and Poodles Parlour Challenges

The challenge this week at The Cuttlebug Spot is "Spring is in the Air" and we are to make a feminine card at Poodles Parlour. Flowers are feminine and remind me of spring so I am entering this card I made with pre-colored flowers and piercing patterns from Fred She Said. I printed the flowers and leaves and layered them raising each layer with mounting tape. The outside and inside pieces of the flower were printed and I used a needle to prick each of the holes and then layered with the flower for a pretty focal piece. I used a Sizzix embossing folder on the green card and added a ribbon from SU to complete the feminine card.

Just have to share this- he is sooo cute and obviously smart too:) Hope it makes you smile like it did me:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

What If? Wed. Sketch Challenge

It's time for another fun sketch challenge at The House that Stamps Built and we are challenging you to make a card using the sketch below and link it up for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! For all the details on what you can win and to see the other Rock Stars cards using this sketch, please visit our blog.

For my card, I started with one of my favorite Repeat Impressions stamps, Extreme Cheetah. I stamped him on rust paper, cut out and rounded the edges. I embossed the top part of the card with a Cuttlebug folder and made a line across the center with Candis.

I am entering this card in the animals challenge at There She Goes.

Paper Creations Ink Show Us Your Style Challenge

It's time for another challenge at Paper Creations Ink and our theme is "Show Us Your Style Using Your Favorite Technique"! Just a quick reminder, you can use any image for this challenge. We would LOVE to see all types of creations, whether it is a Card, Scrapbook Page, Fat Book Page, Tag, ATC (Artist Trading Card), Box, Bag, 3D ~ Altered Art, or Other Crafting Projects that has some form of paper on it.

Our Sponsor for this challenge is Ike's Art. Susan (Ike), Owner/Artist of Ike's Art has so graciously offered 5 Digi's Of Choice from her online store! Isn't that an awesome prize for one lucky person?

For my card I created a CAS card using several embossing folders and a gorgus castle scene from Ike's Art. My favorite technique is embossing with folders and I do it on almost all my cards. My style is CAS with little or no coloring, but some images are beautiful just as is, and this is one of them.

I am entering this card in the challenge at Crafty Catz for Favorite Things.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this lovely Mina stamp, and it is available this week only for 50% off with the discount code found at Repeat Impressions blog. What a deal! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards using this stamp.

For my card, I started with some beautiful dp, an ek success edge punch and liquid pearls. I stamped Mina on off white paper and again on some pretty dp and paper pieced her outfit. The dream calligraphy was stamped, cut out with nestie and sponged while still in the diecut.

I am entering this card in the challenges at Penny’s Paper Crafty (anything goes) and Craft your Days Away (paper piecing.)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Just had to share this!

No card today- busy with stamp camp this weekend, but am sharing something that was sent to me recently that I just loved.

I thought you would enjoy this, I think we all carry to much!

Stress

 

A young lady confidently walked around the room while reading and

explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of

water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question,

'half empty or half full?'..... She fooled them all..., "How heavy is

this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.

 

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

 

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how

long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I

hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it

for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the

same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

 

She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our

burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes

increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

 

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and

rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on

with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time

practiced.

 

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.

Don't carry them through the evening and into the night...

pick them up tomorrow.

 

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment.

Relax, pick them up later, after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy

it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"

REMEMBER, STRESS IS SOMETHING THAT

WE DO TO OURSELVES !!

 

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon,

and some days you're the statue!

 

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

 

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the

middle of it.

 

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

 

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

 

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was

probably worth it..

 

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a

warning to others.

 

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

 

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then

you won't have a leg to stand on.

 

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well.

Just get up and dance.

 

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

 

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

 

13 * When everything's coming your way,

you're in the wrong lane.

 

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more

you have, the longer you live.

 

15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the

world to one person.

 

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

 

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons.

Some are sharp, some are pretty and

some are dull. Some have weird

names and all are different colors,

but they all have to live in the same box.

 

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

 

19 * Have an awesome day and know that

someone thought about you today.

 

20 * It was me, your friend!

Stamping smiles, Karen 

 

Easter/Spring Card Challenge at SAS4Kids

It's time for another fun new challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids and this time we are challenging you to make and link an Easter or Spring card for a child. I know it may seem early for this type of card, but remember we always need to be working ahead here at SAS4Kids because we need time to send the cards to the hospitals before the actual holiday. We would love to think that every child in all of our seven children's hospitals could receive an Easter or spring card this spring. But even if you don't send in your card, you can enter this challenge and have a chance at winning two awesome sponsor prizes or making our Top Three.

Our sponsors for this challenge are: Delicious Doodles and their prize is 4 digis of the winner's choice; and Robyn's Fetish and their prize is 5 digis of the winner's choice. Wouldn't you just love to shop these sites with these prizes? Just click on their names to check out all the great digital stamps available at both of our sponsor's sites.

My first card above uses a darling digi from Robyn's Fetish. Isn't the little girl dressed up like a bunny just so sweet? I paper pieced her bunny outfit and basket and finished with a little coloring with my copics. I added some Easter dp and a few egg eyelets to complete the card.

This card was made with another darling digi stamp from Delicious Doodles. I just printed and did a little sponging. I rounded the corners, added some ribbon to complete the CAS card.

I am entering these cards in the challenges at Bunny Zoe's Crafts for Celebrations and at Truly Scrumptious for "All Creatures Great and Small."

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen

Sassy Cheryl's and Sweet Stamps Challenges

The challenge this week at Sassy Cheryl's is to use no designer paper and at Sweet Stamps, we are to use roses. This is one of the cards we are making in a stamp camp I am hosting with a friend this weekend. It features some lol stamps from Repeat Impressions and a fun newer background technique. Did you know you can create a subtle background just by applying ink all over an acrylic block and stamping on your card with it? The green in the center of this card was done that way. I embossed the borders with a Tim Holtz embossing folder, cut with deckle scissors and distressed with black ink. The rose was paperpieced.

Bet we all have a guy in our life we could send this funny card to:) I stamped the punch line stamp twice and punched out the "official seal".

Stamping smiles, Karen

Kaboodle Doodles and Stamps R Us Challenges

The challenge this week at Kaboodle Doodles is Masculine Cards and Anything Goes at Stamps R Us. I saw this idea of printing a map of the county where the recipient lives and using it as the background on a card on Pinterest. I think it makes for a great personalized card. I found a map of Barron County on line and printed it on patterned paper. I was born and raised in Barron and my brother still lives there, so this is a card for him. The deer stencil was embossed and sponged onto wood paper and cut out with deckle scissors. I think he will like it:)

Stamping smiles, Karen

Designer's Choice Challenge at Repeat Impressions

It’s another Designer’s Choice Challenge at The House that Stamps Built, Repeat Impression’s blog. Joy is challenging us all to recycle the leftover scraps we all have to make a card. What a great idea! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards for this DCC challenge.

For my card, I used scraps of pink and green dp, a white scrap and a piece of green baker’s twine that was laying on my desk. I cut the purple card base a little smaller, but the green dp with the twine around it will fit into an A2 envelope. I paper pieced the Clover Bunny and colored his bouquet and the Celebrate Spring flowers with copics. The butterflies were diecut out of another scrap of the dp with a Memory Box die.

I am entering this card in the Anything Goes challenge at One Stitch at a Time.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Happy Valentines Day Challenges

Valentines Day is the theme of the challenges at Crafting When We Can, Dream Valley Challenges and The Squirrel and the Fox. I am posting my last Valentine which I sent to a dear friend who is on the road with her hubby in their motorhome. I sent it a while ago so hope it catches up with her soon.

I started with a lovely heart diecut from Memory Box which I attached to a heart nestie shape and added some gems. I cut out a mask with my large heart border from Martha Stewart and sponged the white hearts on to kraft paper. The friends stamp is from Stampin' up and the whole card was layered onto red cardstock to complete the card.

Happy Valentines to everyone!

Stamping smiles, Karen

CAS-ual Fridays and Moving Along with the Times Challenges

CAS paper piecing is the theme at CAS-ual Fridays and Cute Critters are wanted at Moving Along with the Times. So this card I made recently using "toadally awesome" cute toads and turtle stamps from Raisin Boat is perfect for both. I paper pieced the toads in different dotted dp and attached them looking out of a circle cut with a nestie. The little turtle in the corner is my favorite and he was cut out and attached with mounting tape to a background created with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Craft Us Crazy and Digi Doodles Shops Best Challenges

The challenge this week at Digi Doodles Shops Best is "For the Boys" and Anything Goes at Craft us Crazy. I won this fun set from Mark's Finest Papers when I was published with one of their stamp sets. I loved the silhouette stamps and the fun bull and sentiment so much I just had to choose this set and play with it right away when I received it. I started with a page out of an old book that I distressed to look even older. I stamped the wheat and other images in black and layered onto black and then on a kraft card.

The sentiments on the inside are from the same set- CAS but great for a guy's card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crop Stop, Simon Says Stamp and My Mum's Crafty Shop Challenges

Love is in the air at Simon Says Stamp and My Mum's Crafty Shop and at Crop Stop they are challenging us to make a wedding or anniversary card. I saw the new ruffled ribbon and laser cut cards from Stampin' up and just had to have them! For this card, I cut the card from SU apart and layered the front on a deep red card. The sentiment is an old one also from SU but still one of my favorites. The back of the SU card was cut down a little and used for the inside of the card so there was no waste. CAS for a wedding or anniversary or Valentines, but I love it.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Pretties and Scrapbook Sisters Challenges

Texture is the challenge this week at Paper Pretties and at Scrapbook Sisters, anything goes. I use my embossing folders all the time for texture and beauty and I used a Tim Holtz Sizzix one on the black front piece here. The punched pieces are done with a brand new punch from ek success that allows you to either punch a border or a separate large punched line- isn't that brilliant? You can chose which look you want, or use both as I have done. The white piece has the border look, and I punched a black line of the Rose Scroll and attached it in a window that I cut with my nesties. That piece was raised with mounting circles. I added some black and white pearls to complete the card.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Crafty Sentiments and Papertake Weekly Challenges

The challenge at Crafty Sentiments is "Let's Get Girly" and Anything Goes at Papertake Weekly. I used one of the new sets from Stampin' up that I could not resist and some of their new ribbon to create this feminine wedding card. The embossing folder from Sizzix is also new and I love the look of distressing it with ink and adding the pearl pen pearls in the centers of the embossed diamonds. The bridal gown was stamped on patterned paper and cut out and embossed with a nestie.

Stamping smiles, Karen

What if? Wed. Challenge and Happy Anniversary to ME!

It's time for another fun sketch challenge at The House that Stamps Built and we are challenging you to make a card using the sketch below and link it up for a chance at some great Repeat Impressions rubber! I used one of my favorite Repeat Impressions stamps, Belle the adorable teddy bear as the focal point on my card. I paper pieced her dress, jacket and hat before putting her in the center of circles cut and embossed with my nesties. The strips in the background are from some Valentine paper I got at Target for $1. I attached the strips on white and embossed the whole piece with my favorite Cuttlebug embossing folder, Swiss Dots.

Today is a special day here on my blog. One year ago today I posted my first card as a member of the Rock Stars, the design team at Repeat Impressions. I am soooo grateful to Wendy at Repeat Impressions for giving me this opportunity. It was my first and best design team experience and I have had so much fun this year since starting this journey. Since joining this awesome team, I have been blessed with other design team opportunities and am loving those experiences too. But it started here at The House that Stamps Built and I am very grateful for this opportunity and all the fun this year has been.

And, Repeat Impressions is looking for a new Rock Star, so you could see what I mean when I say it is the best design team around. Here is what Wendy said on the blog:

" don’t forget we have a position available on our design team! So… are you addicted to stamping? Love to make cards as often as possible? Have a blog to show off all your wonderful creations? Do you enjoy a challenge and play well with others? You could be a Rock Star in the making! Please drop me a note at wendy@repeatimpressions.com if you would like more information."

I am entering this card in the CAS challenge at Paper Sundaes,

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Creations Ink Recipe Challenge

It's time for a new challenge at Paper Creations Ink and this time it is a fun recipe challenge: 1 image, 2 designer papers and 3 embellishments. Our sponsor is Simply B Stamps and the image I used for this Valentine is a fun one you could win by playing along. Please check out the blog for all the details and to see the awesome cards designed by the rest of the design team.

The 1 image is from Simply B, the 2 designer papers were used in paper piecing her outfit and heart, and the 3 embellishments were the heart die (Memory Box), the embossed hearts (Cuttlebug) and the heart pearls.

I am entering this card in the Love and Hearts challenge at Truly Scrumptious.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week

The stamp of the week this week at Repeat Impressions is this fun Flowering Hearts stamp, and it is available this week only for 50% off with the discount code found at Repeat Impressions blog. What a deal! Please visit the blog for all the details and to see the other Rock Star's cards using this stamp.

For my card, I started with two pieces of white cardstock. On the bottom one, I stamped the Flowering Hearts and sponged with pink ink. Then I paper pieced the hearts, leaves and pot. I cut a scalloped heart hole with my nesties in the center of the other piece and cut and embossed the heart border with nestie border dies. The hearts are a Martha Stewart punch cut out of red sticky paper. The red card was embossed with my favorite Cuttlebug folder (Swiss dots) before I attached the white pieces. I added the sentiment (from Repeat Impressions) to complete the card.

I am entering this card in the challenge at 7 Kids College Fund to use the colors red, white and pink.

Stamping smiles, Karen

Paper Shelter and Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges

"Love is in the Air" at both Paper Shelter and Penny's Paper Crafty and I am sharing this Valentine I made with a stamp I picked up at a used stamp sale and a bunch of heart punches. I stamped the Happy V Day on red and pink and paper pieced the smaller hearts. I was playing with my heart punches (all Martha Stewart), and punched a border and a white one and  the gold one in sticky paper and covered it with gold microbeads.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday- although this says it all:

Stamping smiles, Karen

Anything Goes at Send a Smile 4 Kids

Anything Goes (for kids) again at Send a Smile 4 Kids- cuz it is my favorite kind of challenge and the favorite of bloggers and sponsors alike. Our first sponsor is SCACD (Susana's Custom Art and Card Design) and she is giving an awesome set of stamps called The Adventures of Loli and Friends" to the lucky random winner of her prize. Karen's Doodles is sponsoring us too and their prize is 3 digis of the winner's choice. Saturated Canary's prize is 2 digis of the winner's choice and Crop Stop is giving their lucky random winner a $15 gift certificate! To get more details and to see the awesome cards designed by TEAM S.A.S. and two guest dt members, please visit our blog.

The first card I am sharing today is made with a darling digi from Saturated Canary. I printed Winter Ragamuffin on white paper and sponged the whole piece with light blue ink. I rounded the corners on that piece and the navy blue I layered it on. I punched small snowflakes and attached white ones on the blue and blue ones on the white each with a pearl. The sentiment (Fiskars) was cut and embossed with a nestie and also sponged. My fellow dt members did a fantastic job of coloring their Saturated Canary images, but this card shows you can still make a nice card with a detailed image without coloring.

My second card features the Skater Dude from Karen's Doodles. I printed him on white and paper pieced his clothing and board and helmet. The sentiment is from Verve. I attached two pieces of yellow notebook paper to the card and embossed it all. A little doodling and some sticker gems and the card is done. Teenage boys are the catagory of cards most needed by Send a Smile 4 Kids, so this one will be donated for one inpatient in a hospital.

You have two weeks to join us at Send a Smile 4 Kids in this Anything Goes challenge for a chance at 4 great sponsor prizes. So have some fun and create any card appropriate for children and join us in this challenge.

I am entering these cards in the challenges at Digi Stamps 4 Joy (For the Boys) and Fab n Funky (use a digi.)

Stamping smiles 4 our kids, Karen